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The million-dollar question, do we really train enough in vehicle extrication? In our minds, most of us would say yes. In reality, the answer is probably no. Can we truly train enough? We could if extrication was the only responsibility we had in fire, rescue and EMS. But we know that most of us have many more responsibilities than just extrication. ...

+*Home Dangers*+ Every year nearly 4,000 Americans die in home fires and approximately 20,000 are injured. Electrical fires are one of the leading types of home fires, especially in manufactured homes. By following some simple rules on electrical safety you can reduce the likelihood of an electrical fire in your home. *+Prevent Electrical Problems+* Studies of electrical fires in homes show ...

More and more people are making their homes in woodland settings – in or near forests, rural areas, or remote mountain sites. There, homeowners enjoy the beauty of the environment but face the very real danger of wildfire. Every year across our Nation, some homes survive – while many others do not – after a major wildfire. Those that survive almost ...

At a recent fire I overheard the incident commander tell the mutual aid rapid intervention team, “Thanks for coming; my guys would have killed me if I assigned them as RIT.” Take a minute and think about that. If you are assigned as RIT at a fire, is that your attitude? If it is, stop reading, you’re wasting your time. If ...

Every year after a few months of decreased running due to winter months, I receive emails from people who are starting to ache after only a few days of running. Typically, if you take off for more than 2-3 months from a regular running routine, chances are when you start again you will start off “where you left off” and actually ...

This week, a concerned Army Reservist asks, “I have heard about people dieing of drinking too much water. Is this possible?” This is a great question because so many times this issue is taken out of context causing people to stop drinking water altogether. When you read about people who die or get kidney damage “from drinking too much water” you ...

Ever since 1648, when the first fire organization was founded in America, and in 1819 with the advent of the first steam engine fire apparatus (1679-first fire vehicle), we have looked for ways to learn from mishaps and make things safer. Of course as time goes on, things improve and change along with it. Building construction and vehicles are an ever ...

*+Schedules and Timelines+* Most commonly firefighters work in 24-hour shifts, reporting to work at 0700 and work until 0700 the next day. Firefighters usually work a total of 56 hours per week (but since these hours are worked on a continual basis, firefighters enjoy a lot of time off). On the average, firefighters work ten 24-hour shifts each month, leaving them ...

You will encounter different viewpoints on the value of your property in adjusting your fire loss or in claiming a casualty loss on your federal income tax. Knowing the following terms will help you understand the process used to determine the value of your fire loss: *Your personal valuation:* Your personal loss of goods through fire may be difficult to measure. ...

On my website a while back, a brother posted a simple statement- everyone goes home. I thought about it for a bit. I reflected on the 343 firefighters that didn’t go home on 9-11. I thought about the more than 600 (and climbing) who have been killed since then. I wondered, why don’t we all go home safely? We should ...

Stew Smith CSCS, former Navy SEAL Joins Forces with FireLink.com as fitness advisor / writer. I am pleased to start writing a fitness column for FireLink.com that will enable me to communicate with firefighters on a regular basis, but also, I hope to assist our Heroes of Tomorrow and today with maintaining their fitness level and career longevity. It is an ...

We in the Fire, Rescue and EMS service are typically “A” type of personality and enjoy the adrenalin rush we get from the calls we respond to. That is not a bad thing since it takes this type of person to do the job we do. How many times have you heard someone tell you that they are glad that you ...

We all learned during our basic EMT class that we should always park upwind from the accident scene in case there are hazardous materials involved. Now lets be honest, how many of us even think about parking upwind, or for that matter even know which way the wind is blowing when we leave the station? When responding to most accidents, we ...

*If still in high school look into a Regional Occupational Program (ROP).* Many local fire departments have community outreach recruitment programs. *Graduate from high school or obtain your GED.* A diploma is much preferred. Talk with a counselor at a community college that offers fire science courses. Set up a course curriculum that allows you to obtain a two-year degree in ...

We see the bright yellow buses travel our roads and highways everyday. These buses are not only carrying the future of our country, but the future firefighters, rescue and EMS workers that will inherit our plight to protect and save lives. It is our duty and obligation as rescue workers to be highly skilled and trained in rescuing this precious cargo. ...

There is little doubt that in one of your firehouses right now, some members are engaged in a "solving the World's issues" discussion. The nature of firefighters is that we are fixers. Think about it. A woman calls 911. "My house is on fire! My baby's not breathing!! I smell gas! I'm locked out of my car." We respond and fix ...

Fire departments have the luxury of choosing any candidate they feel would best represent their organization. To an outsider, if your friends are of questionable character, then so are you. You have heard the old saying, “Birds of a feather flock together.” If your friends are getting into trouble, then, potentially, so are you. Even if you are not a party ...

One of the important aspects of being a firefighter is community involvement. This comes in many forms. To some it may be as a little league or soccer coach, while others are involved in the boys and girls club. Some may be active at church. Whatever you choose to do, it is important to be active in the community. Many candidates ...

This article will talk about some of the construction components that we see going into new buildings, specifically single-family dwellings. Many of these items have been around for a while but it seems that we are really starting to see some significant fires in “newer” lightweight building construction and that should concern every firefighter in the country. We in the fire ...

When you read this we will be moving into early Fall. I hope everyone’s Summer was good, and you were able to enjoy some family time, personal time and just good “ole” down time. Something we all need in our careers as Fire/Rescue/EMS providers. Sometimes we just have to put ourselves first, a totally different concept for some of us. In ...